Windows 10 downloads saw surge in recent weeks

Microsoft seems pretty pleased at the moment on the back of a remarkable surge in Windows 10 upgrades since late November: 200m devices worldwide are now on the latest operating system.

Customers really love Windows 10, it seems. I say customers, because, rather than enterprise users, it is they who have embraced Windows 10 to the greatest degree.

Released last year, and vastly different to any Windows operating system that has come before, Windows 10 was promoted to such an extensive degree that it may not be too surprising that the take-up has been strong.

However, it is the details within which seem extraordinary. More than 40pc of all Windows 10 devices being activated have only been activated since Black Friday, which was only around six weeks ago.

It is outstripping the pace of previous iterations to a huge degree, outpacing Windows 7 by 140pc and Windows 8 (which was awful) by 400pc.

Windows 10 is gradually becoming more prominent amongst gamers, too, with Windows 7 currently the only OS ahead of it for Steam players. Considering it’s just six months old, rather than several years, that’s some surge in popularity.

However, Microsoft’s true interest lies in enterprise customers, where it can monetise its software directly. That’s because it is they that pay for licensing the software and its add-ons, ensuring enterprise customers are kept on the most up-to-date, secure system.

When you upgrade to Windows 10, for example, you get prompted to upload a bunch of other complementary apps. They pay to stay on the OS they are currently on, sure, but the newer the better for Microsoft.

Three-quarters of Microsoft enterprise customers are piloting Windows 10, which is a fine start in that regard and will probably lead to decent conversion rates. That, rather than the 200m devices worldwide, will determine Windows 10’s success.